Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use among Victimized Women on Probation & Parole

Nonmedical prescription opioid use (NPOU) is a major public health concern and few studies have described this phenomenon among victimized women involved in the criminal justice system.

This study will describe the relationship between victimization, psychological distress, health status and NPOU among the vulnerable population of victimized women on probation and parole.

A sample of 406 women on probation and parole responded to items assessing victimization history, self-reported health status, physical pain, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to differentiate NPOUs versus nonusers.

Overall, 169 (41.6%) women reported lifetime NPOU, and 20% reported use in the past year. Compared to women who did not report NPOU, NPOUs were more likely to be White, have poorer general health, and more severe psychological distress across nine symptom domains. In multiple logistic regression models, each year of age reduced the odds of NPOU by 4%; White women were twice as likely as women of other races to report NPOU; each unit increase in the measure for physical pain was associated with a 30% increase in the odds of NPOU; and participants who met diagnostic criteria for PTSD were 60% more likely to report NPOU compared to individuals who did not.

Victimized women on probation and parole report high rates of NPOU and comorbid mental and physical health problems. The criminal justice system should routinely screen for NPOU, as well as untreated or poorly managed physical pain and psychological distress, which may increase risk of NPOU.

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By: Hall MT1, Golder S2, Higgins GE3, Logan TK4.

• 1Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville, United States. Electronic address: martin.hall@louisville.edu.
• 2Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville, United States.
• 3Department of Justice Administration, University of Louisville, United States.
• 4Department of Behavioral Science and the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, United States.  

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Psychological Distress among Victimized Women on Probation and Parole: A Latent Class Analysis

Below:  Standardized mean scores of three subgroups of victimized women on probation and parole across nine latent class indicator variables

Latent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of victimized women (N=406) on probation and parole differentiated by levels of general psychological distress. The nine primary symptom dimensions from the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were used individually as latent class indicators (Derogatis, 1993). Results identified three classes of women characterized by increasing levels of psychological distress; classes were further differentiated by posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, cumulative victimization, substance use and other domains of psychosocial functioning (i.e., sociodemographic characteristics; informal social support and formal service utilization; perceived life stress; and resource loss). The present research was effective in uncovering important heterogeneity in psychological distress using a highly reliable and easily accessible measure of general psychological distress. Differentiating levels of psychological distress and associated patterns of psychosocial risk can be used to develop intervention strategies targeting the needs of different subgroups of women. Implications for treatment and future research are presented.

Women are among the fastest growing segment of the correctional population. At present, over 200,000 women are incarcerated and more than 1 million women are on probation (Ajinkya, 2012). Approximately one out of every 89 women in the U.S. is involved in the criminal justice system and over 85% are sanctioned within the community...

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